


It Shoulda Been Me!

by scrambleddragonegg



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:13:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23217556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scrambleddragonegg/pseuds/scrambleddragonegg
Summary: Jack AND Davey go up to meet Pulitzer and see Katherine is Pulitzer's daughter and Jack is given an ultimatum. The deal is made but it's Davey that gets taken away, not Jack.
Relationships: David Jacobs/Jack Kelly
Comments: 1
Kudos: 78





	It Shoulda Been Me!

“I told you Miss Medda, I ain’t stayin’ here.” Jack grumbles.

“And I ain’t takin’ your money either.” He says defiantly, trying desperately to return the envelope.

“You’re taking the cash, Jack. I’ll miss you.” Medda says, looking sadly at the broke(n) boy.

“Imma miss you too Miss Medda. You’s a real great lady.” Jack replies.

“Just… Promise me you’re going somewhere and not running away?” She adds. This makes Jack stop for a moment. It’s short lived, the break, because he starts laughing distantly at the notion.

“There’s a difference? I jus’ need to get outta here.” Jack admits, not willing to look at Medda’s sad face.

“Jack, if you travel somewhere, you can leave if it isn’t right. If you’re running, nowhere will ever be right, will it?” The silence that follows is heart wrenching, but again short lived. Jack notices that Medda has placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, rubbing it with her thumb.

“How about letting a pal know you’re alive?!” Davey’s voice calls. Jack seems to both perk up and cave further in on himself, Medda notices. Oh, these boys…

“I’ll leave you with your _friend_.” Jack glares daggers at the woman as she leaves, not liking how she stressed that last word. Davey is loud running down the stairs. Jack can’t help but be slightly annoyed, but he’s also glad that it was Davey who found him and not one of the other guys. Maybe he’ll get it more than their stubborn asses.

“Where’d you run off to! We couldn’t find you anywhere!” Davey cries, both exhausted and happy to see the familiar face.

“Ever think I didn’t wanna be found, Davey?” Jack snarls. This shocks Davey a considerable amount. He stops his advance toward the older boy suddenly, looking hurt.

“C’mon, Jack! Look at this one! It’s us, see? Front page, above the fold!” Davey suddenly laughs, energized and more excited than Jack has seen Davey in days.

Jack turns to give Davey an “are you kidding me?” look but Davey’s smile doesn’t falter, as hurt as he was by Jack’s words.

“Spot Conlon even sent a kid over to tell us Brooklyn’s in and everything, Jack!” Davey shouts excitedly, trying to rile Jack up. He doesn’t rise to the bait, pushing past Davey to get to the paint behind him.

“We’ll get pummeled, Davey. It’s crazy.”

“The guy who paints places he’s never seen is calling _us_ crazy?” Katherine’s voice asks from where Davey used to stand above.

“Told you Jack was here!” Les cries triumphantly. Jack growls, getting frustrated and angry at Davey, who obviously doesn’t see reason.

“I jus’ wanted to get away for a sec, Jesus.” He grumbles.

“You ain’t going nowhere, Jack.” Davey retorts, waving Katherine and Les down.

“None of us are, Dave! I went to see Crutchie, you know. They beat ‘im up so bad he can’t come to the window. You’s puttin’ other kids in danger doin’ this, Davey. It ain’t right. All for a penny a pape…”

“It’s not about the damn penny, Jack! It’s about what’s right for these kids! It’s about the kids who don’t eat. The kids who get stuck in the Refuge and beat to shit. Like you did. Like Crutchie is, hell!” Dave fires back, “It’s about families and kids who’ll never get to go to school or learn nothing because they have to work, Jack!”

“And everyone went right back to workin’ like nothin’ even happened.” Jack snarls. He looks at Davey who, like him, isn’t giving in.

“Cause if we don’t work we don’t eat! We can’t starve and have a strike too!” Davey counters.

Only Davey hears Jack’s response. They’re in each other’s faces now, inches apart and neither willing to budge.

It goes on like this for a little while. Katherine and Les standby and watch the two boys go at it, yelling back and forth. Davey eventually turns the tide though, and Jack agrees to come back.

“Welcome back, Jackie.” Davey laughs. Jack’s heart stops, and Davey’s eyes widen, wondering if he’d done something wrong, but chooses to deal and not backtrack.

“Finally! Come on boys, we’ve got this!” Katherine breaks their trance.

~

The next day doesn’t go so well. Jack is riled up into the next day and if Davey hadn’t talked Jack into letting him come too, well… It might have gone worse. Well, worse that finding out Katherine is Pulitzer’s daughter.

“Kath…” David tries, not believing his eyes.

“Crawlin’, ha! Good one Joe.” Jack laughs. Davey can tell he’s nervous.

“Jackie, no. Stop.” There it is again. “Jackie.” If it wasn’t Davey, Jack would punch the guy.

“Not now, Davey.” Jack says.

“But- But Jack! The Delancey’s are-” Davey tries, seeing them enter, warming up their fists.

“So this is David Jacobs. You know Jack, I could have every Newsie in New York put in a Refuge much like where your friend ‘Crutchie’ is now. That includes ‘Davey’ here and little Les. Isn’t that right Mr. Snyder?” Pulitzer asks, smirking when Jack tries to escape, only to be thrown back into the room by the Delancey brothers. Davey can see why Jack is so afraid of this creep.

“Jack don’t.” Davey warns, shaking as the men in the room smile. Even Katherine is shaking her head.

“That is _if_ you don’t agree to speak against the rally you just spoke of tomorrow.”

“If you really think that Jack will-”

“Deal.” Jack says without another word. Davey can’t believe his ears.

“Jack, no. Jack this isn’t the answer we’ve come so far! Too far to-” Jack cuts Davey off again.

“I’m doin’ this for everyone, Davey. For Crutchie, for Spot, and for Les…” He trails off, looking away from Davey, unable to look at him anymore.

“For you.” Jack says firmly. There’s a finality in his tone that makes Davey want to hurl. Pulitzer waves his hand and the Delanceys surge forward not for Jack, but for Davey. They throw Jack to the ground with practiced ease and while Davey goes to help him up they pull him back.

“At least let me help him- agh!” Davey cries as he’s punched in the stomach. He might actually toss his lunch at this rate.

Katherine stares in horror as Davey, who would never hurt a fly, is dragged god only knows where. “What was that for? What did he do?!” Katherine shouts, looking like she wants to punch her father in the face.

“He’ll try to convince ‘Jackie’ that this isn’t a good idea. It’s for all of their best interests. He’ll be let go tomorrow after the rally.” Pulitzer says. His tone is menacing.

Jack is fuming.

“Hey no. That wasn’ necessary, Pulitzer! You’s outta line!” Jack roars. He starts towards Pulitzer, but Snyder steps between them.

“You’d do well to learn your place, _boy_.”

Jack spits out some insults and meets the Delanceys at the door of the office.

“I’ll walk myself down thank you. I don’ need any more of your ‘help’.”

Jack storms down the steps towards the front door and sees Les through the window looking for Davey. How is he supposed to tell him what happened? Davey would know what to say. Davey always knows what to say, damnit!

Jack pushes past the door and runs. He hears Les calling for him but he can’t bring himself to stop. He can’t face Les now. Not when Davey is in the Delanceys hands.

Up in his “penthouse” Jack is pacing quickly back and forth. Where did they put Davey? Is he okay? They punched the guy’s gut of course he isn’t okay. Is he hungry? They never stopped for lunch so probably, but that’s the thing. He won’t have dinner either now. Shit.

“So, this is your penthouse?” Katherine’s voice asks. Jack whips his head around, furious all over again. With fire in his eyes and smoke in his ears Jack storms over to Katherine with half a mind to punch her like one of the guys. But she ain’t one of the guys. Especially not now.

“What are you doin’ here, Kath? I thought after that shitshow you’d know I don’ wanna see you’s around here again.” Jack says with venom. Katherine keeps her stance firm and her face steeled.

“And I thought Davey talked a few more brains into that head of yours.” Katherine snips back. Jack starts towards Katherine, but she doesn’t budge.

“I’m not afraid of any of you boys out there. Especially not you Jack Kelly. We gotta figure this out or Davey will kill us both.”

“Davey wouldn’t hurt a fly and we both know it, Kath. He can’t even lie to sell papes.” Jack says, momentarily forgetting about his anger and letting his mind drift to Davey’s person, not his condition.

“He’s… Damnit Kath I need him.” Jack says. His voice is almost a whimper at this point. That isn’t what shocks Jack though. What shocks him is that he’s in love with Davey.

“Oh my god Kath why did no one _tell me_ that I-?!”

Katherine is truly surprised now. This is the most vulnerable Jack has been in front of anyone, especially her, from what she’s heard. He looks like he’d blow over if the breeze picked up.

“Finally, you admit it!” She cries triumphantly. Jack looks at her, confusion evident in his face.

“Jack Kelly, I hope you don’t start backtracking on me now because I swear if you do I just might punch you myself. Just… We need time to figure this out. My father _knew_ that taking Davey would set you off. He knew it, Jack. Don’t you see?”

Jack thinks he understands but his mind keeps going back to Davey and the Delancey twins.

“Kath what’re they doin’ to him? He’s hurt. You saw how they punched him. What if he ends up as screwed up as Crutchie? I could barely look at Crutchie that way. If Davey is hurt anymore than we saw, I’ll kill the twins myself.” The look in Jack’s face is deadly.

“We’ll get him back. We’ll get through this.”

They stay up the entire night trying to figure out just where they might have put Davey. Well, they try to anyway. They both fall asleep as the sun rises and are woken by the whistle and the opening gates for the Newsies.

“What the…?” Jack starts. Katherine gasps suddenly.

“I have to tell Spot what we’re doing, but I have a plan Jack. I can’t tell you everything, but you have to do what my father says for now.” This makes Jack wake up.

“That was my plan anyway. I have to for everyone’s sake. Ain’t no one else going to the Refuge on my watch.” Jack says solemnly. This makes Katherine frown, but she knows she needs him to do this for her plan to work.

That night, Katherine runs behind stage to meet up with Spot, telling him that Jack is going to speak against the rally and the strike.

“WHAT?!” Spot roars. Katherine shushes hum quickly.

“Will you be quiet! I’m not done! Jack doesn’t know what I’m doing, just that I’m talking to you. Spot when the rally is over and the cops come to break up the rally, I need between you and Davey to get everyone on the same page.” Spot looks skeptical but nonetheless nods along.

“Jack doesn’t want to do this. Pulitzer forced his hand. He threatened to put everyone in the Refuge and that includes Les and Davey.” A hiss from beside them renders them both speechless.

“Race, what are you doin’?” Spot scolds. The other boy looks at Katherine sheepishly.

“Jack’s here.” He says. There’s a wordless conversation that Katherine misses out on between the two, but Katherine doesn’t have time to bother with it right now. Jack’s about to bring on a new riot.

“I gotta go find Davey. I might know where my father has him and Jack will feel a lot better when Davey comes back. Race, look after Les for us, got it? He hasn’t been right since Davey went missing yesterday.” Katherine explains, hushed and anxious.

“Go get him back Kath.” Les’ tiny voice says. He’s hugging Race’s leg tightly.

“Don’t be too hard on Jack, alright Les? His hands are tied right now.” Katherine explains before rushing back to her father’s building.

~

Davey is cold, hungry, and in pain. He can’t stop thinking about Jack and Katherine’s worried faces as he was grabbed, and Jack’s shouts he could hear from down the hall as he was punched and dragged off. Even Katherine is arguing with Pulitzer now.

Jack took the deal. He took it. He’s going to crush the other Newsies and Les and Spot will think they’re flaking and-

Nothing good is going to come from this.

When morning comes, Davey is woken by a sudden light from upstairs.

“Wake up before we gotta drag you, Davey.” Morris says mockingly.

“You’ll do that anyway.” Davey mutters. He receives another harsh jab to the gut.

“AAH!” Davey cries, doubling over.

“Keep that pretty mouth shut, will ya?”

Davey recognizes the route they’re travelling. He knows the way to Medda’s theater like the back of his hand because of Jack.

“We’re gonna go watch the rally burst into flames. Right, Oz?”

“Damn right.” Oscar sneers, grinning down at Davey.

“Fuck you.”

It’s horrible and Davey can’t even do anything to stop it. He’s standing in the balcony between Morris and Oscar glaring daggers at them both.

Then Jack sees him. You can see the shift. Jack doesn’t believe what he’s saying anymore and won’t take his eyes off of Davey.

“You got this.” Davey mouths.

Jack’s smile sets off the twins though and they haul Davey back where the light won’t catch him. Jack’s face falls and he takes off running. Well shit. The Delanceys split but not before taking one last swing at Davey. This time it’s his face they catch.

~

“Shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshit KATHERINE!” Jack shouts. Davey’s out cold and his face is busted up. Jack sees dried blood on Davey’s stomach through his dirty white shirt and panic fills him again. Instead of Katherine and Les it’s Spot and Race that fly up the stairs.

“Where the hell is the first aid kit?!” Jack calls.

~

Davey wakes up back in the lodging house. He tries to sit up and finds only minimal pain. It’s an improvement he supposes. His face hurts like hell though.

“Hello?” The room is empty.

“Oh my god, David!” Les cries. The next person in is Jack, not that Davey is surprised.

“Hey Les! I missed you.” Davey says, hugging his brother tightly.

“You’s somethin’ Davey.” Jack says softly, moving towards Davey quickly. Les steps back as if he’s afraid to be squished by the larger boy. Jack sits on the bed carefully, trying not to move Davey too much.

“They got some good hits on me, Jack.” Davey jokes. It’s not a joke to Jack though. His face darkens immediately and as he starts to get up, Davey has to pull him back down.

“Hey, look. I’m here. I’m alright, Jackie.” Davey says not breaking eye contact with the older boy. The next thing Davey knows, Jack is kissing him. Davey is too surprised to kiss back before Jack pulls away, steeling his features again.

“I’ll jus’- I shoulda-” Jack starts.

Davey silences him with a kiss of his own. This time Jack pulls back.

“Davey you don’t owe me nothin’ so if you’s jus’ doin’ this I won’ be able to handle it.” Jack says unsurely.

“Jackie?” Davey asks.

“Yeah?”

“Shut up.”

It’s just like- no it’s better- than Davey ever imagined.

Other than his screaming gut and pounding head.

Jack kisses like he’s afraid to take too much or like he’s afraid Davey’s going to break.

“You’s two are cute an’ all but we’s got a strike to finish.” A familiar voice teases.

“Spot I’s seen you and Race in too many alleyways for you’s to be sayin’ shit.” Jack fires, not taking his eyes off of Davey. Jack holds him like he’s the most precious thing in the world, but also like Davey will slip through his fingers at any moment.

“Jackie I ain’t going anywhere. Get out of here.” Davey urges.

“Ain’t no way I’m leavin’ without you Davey. C’mon, let’s go.”


End file.
